- Inherent requirements key terms
- Inherent requirements for Accounting
- Inherent requirements for Bachelor of Applied Leadership and Critical Thinking
- Inherent requirements for Master of Art Therapy
- Inherent requirements for Graduate Diploma in Cardiac Sonography
- Inherent requirements for Building Design and Construction Management
- Inherent requirements for Bachelor of Construction Technology
- Inherent requirements for Graduate Certificate in Child and Family Health (Karitane)
- Inherent requirements for Bachelor of Community Welfare
- Inherent requirements for Psychotherapy and Counselling
- Inherent requirements for Bachelor of Criminal and Community Justice
- Inherent requirements for Bachelor of Design (Visual Communication)
- Inherent requirements for Master of Digital Humanities
- Inherent requirements for Education and Teaching
- Inherent requirements for Engineering courses
- Inherent requirements for Epidemiology
- Inherent requirements for Paramedicine
- Inherent requirements for Interpreting and Translation
- Inherent requirements for Languages
- Inherent requirements for Law
- Inherent requirements for Mathematics
- Inherent requirements for Medicine
- Inherent requirements for Midwifery
- Inherent requirements for Nursing (preregistration) courses
- Inherent requirements for Nursing and Midwifery (postgraduate)
- Inherent requirements for Occupational Therapy
- Inherent requirements for Physiotherapy
- Inherent requirements for Podiatric Medicine
- Inherent requirements for Master of Professional Psychology
- Inherent requirements for Master of Clinical Psychology
- Inherent requirements for Bachelor of Social Work
- Inherent requirements for TESOL
- Inherent requirements for Chinese Medicine Health Care Disciplines
- Inherent requirements for Master of Public Health and Master of Health Science
- Inherent requirements for Speech Pathology
Inherent requirements for Chinese Medicine Health Care Disciplines
These inherent requirements apply to the following programs:
- Bachelor of Traditional Chinese Medicine- program code 4710
- Master of Chinese Medicine - program code 4716
Introduction
Western Sydney University and the School of Health Sciences (SoHS) strongly supports the right of all people to pursue a qualification in the disciplines of Chinese medicine (inclusive of Oriental medicine), including Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture, and herbal medicine dispenser.
Inherent requirements are the essential components of a program or subject that demonstrate the abilities, knowledge and skills to achieve the core learning outcomes of the program or subject, while preserving the academic integrity of the University’s learning, assessment and accreditation processes. The inherent requirements are the abilities, knowledge and skills needed to complete the program that must be met by all students.
Students with a disability or chronic health condition may be able to have reasonable adjustments implemented to enable them to meet these requirements.
The SoHS is committed to making reasonable adjustments to teaching and learning, assessment, professional practice and other activities to enable students to participate in their program. Reasonable adjustments must not fundamentally change the nature of the inherent requirement.
To meet the requirements of the programs, students are required to undertake clinical placement activities, including in mixed gender and diverse cultural environments, which reflect the Australian health care contexts. The final year of the Bachelor of Traditional Chinese Medicine focuses predominately on practical experience and specialised areas. The Uniclinic is a focus location for students’ clinical placements in the undergraduate Bachelor of Traditional Chinese medicine program. Part of the clinical experience can also be taken through an intensive clinical placement in China. (Please see the program academic advisor for further information.) The Master of Chinese Medicine (clinical stream) also includes clinical experience that can be undertaken through an intensive placement in China at the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine or an alternative location in Australia.
The Bachelor of Traditional Chinese Medicine has been designed for graduates to meet Chinese Medicine Board Australia (CMBA) professional capabilities, which identify the knowledge, skills, and practices to safely and competently practise as an acupuncturist, and/or Chinese herbal medicine practitioner, and/or Chinese herbal medicine dispenser in Australia.
Please refer to the document Professional Capabilities of Chinese Medicine Practitioners and the CMBA Code of Conduct. This includes the safe practice of Chinese herbal medicine prescribing guidance’s CMBA Guidelines for safe practice of Chinese herbal medicine and delivery of acupuncture Infection prevention and control guidelines for acupuncture practice.
Successfully completing the Bachelor of Traditional Chinese Medicine program enables graduates to apply for registration with the Chinese Medicine Board Australia, which is a partner board of the Australian Health Practitioners Registration Authority (Aphra).
The Master of Chinese Medicine is a postgraduate qualification designed for CMBA registered Chinese medicine practitioners wishing to broaden and deepen knowledge and extend skills to work autonomously within health care systems, including for the promotion of wellbeing and healthy lifestyles. It is also for graduates with a Chinese medicine specialisation seeking a pathway to research.
To support prospective and current students’ decision making, a series of inherent requirement statements have been developed. These statements specify the essential skills, knowledge and abilities required for the Bachelor of Traditional Chinese Medicine, or the Master of Chinese Medicine. Students should use this information to make informed decisions about their chosen program of study. The statements are clustered under ten domains consisting of Ethical behaviour, Behavioural stability, Legal, Communication, Cognition, Reflective skills, Sensory ability, Strength and mobility, and Sustainable performance.
The inherent requirements outlined below provide a guide to inform decision making for students and staff.
How to read the inherent requirement statements
If you are intending to enrol in the Bachelor of Traditional Chinese Medicine or Master of Chinese Medicine programs in the School of Health Science (SoHS), you should look at these inherent requirement statements and think about whether you may experience challenges in meeting these requirements.
If you think you may experience challenges for any reason including a disability or chronic health condition, you should discuss your concerns with the program staff, such as the Director of Academic Program, Academic Course Advisor, School Disability Coordinator or Disability Advisor. These staff can work collaboratively with you to determine reasonable adjustments to assist you to meet the inherent requirements. In the case where it is determined that inherent requirements cannot be met with reasonable adjustments, the University staff can provide guidance regarding other study options.
These inherent requirements should be read in conjunction with other program information in the Handbook for the Bachelor of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Master of Chinese Medicine.
The inherent requirements are made up of the following five components:
- Level 1 – introduction to the inherent requirement
- Level 2 – description of the inherent requirement
- Level 3 – explanation of why this is an inherent requirement of the program
- Level 4 – the nature of any adjustments that may be made to allow you to meet the requirement
- Level 5 – examples of tasks you must be able to do to show you’ve met the requirement. The exemplars provided are not intended as an exhaustive list.
Inherent requirement Domains
There are ten domains of inherent requirements in the Bachelor of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Master of Chinese medicine programs. Some domains have a number of sub-domains.
Ethical behaviour
Inherent requirements statements | |
---|---|
1 | Chinese medicine is a profession governed by competency and capability standards, including legislation and regulatory requirements. These include the CMBA Code of Conduct, Statement of Intent. (National Scheme’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Strategy), and CMBA Capability Statement (as examples). Chinese medicine health care practitioners are both ethically accountable and professionally responsible for ensuring equitable behaviour in all contexts. |
2 | Student demonstrates knowledge of ethics and conduct requirements by engaging in ethical behaviour in their practice. |
3 | Justification of inherent requirement:
|
4 | Adjustments must not compromise code of ethics, capability standards or result in unethical behaviour. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with a Disability Advisor. |
5 | Exemplars:
|
Behavioural stability
Inherent requirements statements | |
---|---|
1 | Behavioural stability is required to function and adapt effectively and sensitively in a demanding health care role. |
2 | Student demonstrates behavioural stability to work constructively in a diverse and changing academic and clinical environment. |
3 | Justification of inherent requirement:
|
4 | Adjustments must support stable, effective and professional behaviour in both academic and clinical settings. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with a Disability Advisor. |
5 | Exemplars:
|
Legal
Inherent requirements statements | |
---|---|
1 | Chinese medicine practice is mandated by the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law to enable the safe delivery of Chinese medicine health care. |
2 | Student demonstrates knowledge and compliance with Australian Law, professional regulation and scope of practice. |
3 | Justification of inherent requirement:
|
4 | Adjustments must be consistent with legislative and regulatory requirements relating to professional capabilities of Chinese medicine practitioners (CMBA). Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with a Disability Advisor. |
5 | Exemplars:
|
Communication
The Chinese medicine programs require effective, verbal, non-verbal and written communication skills skills.
VerbalInherent requirements statements | |
---|---|
1 | Effective and efficient verbal communication, in English, is an essential requirement to provide safe delivery of care. |
2 | Student demonstrates:
|
3 | Justification of inherent requirement:
|
4 | Adjustments must meet the necessary standards of functional effectiveness, timeliness, clarity and accuracy to ensure safe and appropriate care. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with a Disability Advisor. |
5 | Exemplars:
|
Inherent requirements statements | |
---|---|
1 | Effective non-verbal communication is fundamental to Chinese medicine and needs to be respectful, clear, attentive, empathetic, honest and non-judgmental. |
2 | Student demonstrates:
|
3 | Justification of inherent requirement:
|
4 | Adjustments must enable the student to effectively use non-verbal communication in an appropriate manner. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with a Disability Advisor. |
5 | Exemplars:
|
Cognition
Inherent requirements statements | |
---|---|
1 | Consistent and effective knowledge and cognitive skills must be demonstrated to provide safe and competent Chinese medicine health care. |
2 | Student demonstrates:
|
3 | Justification of inherent requirement: Safe and effective delivery of Chinese medicine health care is based on comprehensive knowledge that must be sourced, understood, and applied appropriately within the profession’s scope of practice across diverse contexts and in response to patients’ varying care needs |
4 | Adjustments must ensure a clear demonstration of knowledge and cognitive skills. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with a Disability Advisor. |
5 | Exemplars:
|
Inherent requirements statements | |
---|---|
1 | Competent literacy skills are essential to provide safe and effective delivery of health care. |
2 | Student demonstrates:
|
3 | Justification of inherent requirement:
|
4 | Adjustments pertaining to literacy issues must allow the student to demonstrate a capacity to effectively acquire, comprehend, apply and communicate accurate information. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with a Disability Advisor. |
5 | Exemplars:
|
Inherent requirements statements | |
---|---|
1 | Competent and accurate numeracy skills are essential for safe and effective health care. |
2 | Student demonstrates the ability to interpret and correctly apply data, measurements and numerical criteria. |
3 | Justification of inherent requirement:
|
4 | Adjustments must allow the student to demonstrate competent and accurate numeracy skills. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with a Disability Advisor. |
5 | Exemplars:
|
Reflective Skills
Inherent requirements statements | |
---|---|
1 | Chinese medicine practice requires a capacity and ability to self-reflect on the effects of knowledge, skills, attitudes and practising behaviours on health care to ensure it remains patient-centred, culturally focused, and safe for a diverse range of patients. |
2 | Student demonstrates:
|
3 | Justification of inherent requirement:
|
4 | Adjustments must support stable, effective, and professional behaviours in both academic and clinical settings. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with a Disability Advisor. |
5 | Exemplars:
|
Sensory
Inherent requirements statements | |
---|---|
1 | Adequate visual acuity is required to provide safe and effective Chinese medicine health care. |
2 | Student demonstrates sufficient visual acuity to perform the required range of skills. |
3 | Justification of inherent requirement:
|
4 | Adjustments must address the need to perform the full range of tasks involved in clinical practice. Any strategies to address the effects of the vision impairment must be effective and not compromise treatment or safety. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with a Disability Advisor. |
5 | Exemplars:
|
Inherent requirements statements | |
---|---|
1 | Auditory ability is required to provide safe and effective Chinese medicine care. |
2 | Student demonstrates sufficient aural function to undertake the required range of skills. |
3 | Justification of inherent requirement:
|
4 | Adjustments must address the need to perform the full range of tasks involved in clinical practice. Any strategies to address the effects of a Hearing impairment must be effective and not compromise treatment or safety. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with a Disability Advisor. |
5 | Exemplars:
|
Inherent requirements statements | |
---|---|
1 | Sufficient tactile ability is required to perform competent and safe Chinese medicine health care. |
2 | Student demonstrates adequate tactile function sufficient to undertake the required range of skills and assessments. |
3 | Justification of inherent requirement:
|
4 | Adjustments should facilitate student to make effective assessments of physical characteristics and differences within safe timeframes. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with a Disability Advisor. |
5 | Exemplars:
Identifying tactile variations in the surface anatomy to guide the accurate and precise location for treatment application or insertion of acupuncture devices |
Strength & Mobility
Inherent requirements statements | |
---|---|
1 | Chinese medicine in a profession that involves physical demands and requires gross motor function. |
2 | Student demonstrates the ability to perform gross motor skills to function in order to meet the requirements of the discipline’s code of practice |
3 | Justification of inherent requirement:
|
4 | Adjustments should facilitate functional effectiveness, safety of self and others and a capacity to provide appropriate care. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with a Disability Advisor. |
5 | Exemplars:
|
Inherent requirements statements | |
---|---|
1 | Chinese medicine is a profession that requires manual dexterity and fine motor skills. |
2 | Student demonstrates the ability to use fine motor skills to provide safe effective care. |
3 | Justification of inherent requirement:
|
4 | Adjustments should allow student to demonstrate functional fine motor control, safety to self and others, and a capacity to provide appropriate care. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with a Disability Advisor. |
5 | Exemplars:
|
Sustainable performance
Inherent requirements statements | |
---|---|
1 | Chinese medicine health practice requires both physical and mental performance at a consistent and sustained level to meet individual needs over time. |
2 | Student demonstrates:
|
3 | Justification of inherent requirement:
|
4 | Adjustments must ensure that performance is consistent and sustained over a given period. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Disability Advisor. |
5 | Exemplars:
|
Information and Communication Technologies
Inherent requirements statements | |
---|---|
1 | Competent Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills are essential to Chinese medicine studies. |
2 | Student demonstrates:
|
3 | Justification of inherent requirement:
|
4 | Adjustments must maintain the capacity to effectively use a range of ICT, to apply and communicate accurate information and perform clinical work. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with a Disability Advisor. |
5 | Exemplars:
|
*Developed from: Johnson, A., Allan, T., Phillips, K., Azzopardi, T., Dickson, C., Goldsmith, M & Hengstberger- Sims, C. (2011). Inherent Requirements of Nursing Education (IRONE), Western Sydney University School of Nursing & Midwifery and Student Equity & Disability Services.
The Inherent Requirements content by the University of Western Sydney is subject to a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial Share Alike 4.0 International licence. The details of the relevant licence conditions are available on the Creative Commons website (opens in a new window).
© University of Western Sydney
The Inherent Requirements content on this page may be used subject to the Creative Commons terms, by including the following attribution:
Inherent Requirements http://www.westernsydney.edu.au/ir
© University of Western Sydney is licensed
under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial Share Alike 4.0 International licence.
Mobile options: